Happy Father's Day, Peter
by DjDangerLove
Summary: Peter never had a reason to celebrate Father's day, until now. Not Slash!   P.S. Does include sick Neal...well because that's the best kind of Neal whumpage. :


Elizabeth Burke sat at the kitchen table at seven thirty in the morning. She sipped her coffee quietly as she thought about her husband, who she could hear getting ready for work upstairs. She was uneasy about today, because today wasn't just any normal day. No, today was Father's day and although Peter assured her it felt like every other day to him, she had a feeling deep down that it somewhat bothered him that they couldn't have children. Every year Elizabeth tried to do something special for Peter as he did the same for her on Mother's day. But no matter, she still was not satisfied. But this year was going to be different. She smiled to herself as she thought back to last night.

Flashback

Peter, Elizabeth and Neal just finished eating supper at the Burke's home. Peter went into the living room to watch the game as Elizabeth went into the kitchen and began to clean up. She was slightly startled when Neal appeared beside her and began helping her wash the dishes.

"Oh Neal! You scared me." She said as she lightly smacked his arm and gave a small laugh. "You don't have to help me. You can go watch the game with Peter, I don't mind cleaning up. I've done this for ten years."

"I'll pass, you know how much I 'love' sports. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about something." He said as he rinsed off a plate Elizabeth handed him. She looked at him quizzically.

"Oh okay, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Neal hesitated before responding. "Well…. Tomorrow is Father's day, and I know that you and Peter only have Satchmo, but…I was wondering if…. It would be inappropriate or… awkward for me to get Peter something. I know that I'm not-"

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as Neal spoke and when he began to babble in an awkward way she cut him off.

"Oh, Honey! Peter would be very grateful. You're the reason Peter is getting grey hair so early and you eat dinner with us so often, so you might as well be considered our kid." She said sweetly as she placed a reassuring hand on his back. She watched as his cheeks took on a slight pink color before adding, "And we wouldn't have it any other way."

Neal turned his surprised face to meet Elizabeth's motherly gaze and smiled.

End of Flashback

Peter parked his car in front of June's house and made his way inside.

He walked upstairs and knocked on Neal's door.

"Just a minute!" He heard Neal yell. A few seconds later the door swung open revealing a sharp dressed (as usual) Neal Caffrey holding a cup of June's Italian Roast coffee.

"Morning, Peter!" Neal said grinning at the agent.

"I honestly don't know why you drink coffee in the morning. You are hyper enough without it, so why do you even bother?" Peter said tiredly as he took a sip of his own coffee.

"Well, it is nice to see you too, Peter." Neal said casting a sideways glance at his partner before grabbing a small white box and his fedora. Peter moved out of the door way so Neal could walk out.

"What's in the box?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"Oh, it is nothing. Let's go Sunshine or we will be late." Neal said smiling as he placed his fedora on his head and jogged down the stairs. Peter rolled his eyes and followed his consultant.

Later at the end of the work day…

"Neal, Elizabeth invited you to dinner. Are you coming?" Peter asked his consultant as he grabbed his keys and headed for the parking lot.

"Yeah, sure. I mean if that's okay with you." Neal replied being wary of Peter's slight bitter mood.

"Yes, it's fine. Come on." Peter answered as he walked out the office door and held it for Neal.

Once they were in the car and on their way to Peter's house, Neal looked over at the agent.

"Hey Peter, is something wrong?" He asked, unable to let Peter's fowl mood go unnoticed anymore.

Peter stole a quick glance at Neal before turning his eyes back to the road.

"No, what makes you ask that?" Peter replied flatly, making a right turn.

"Oh, I don't know you just seem a bit…. cranky." Neal replied looking out the window as Peter parked the car in front their destination.

"Sorry Neal, I'm just tired, that's all." Peter said, getting out of the car. Neal smiled sympathetically, knowing the full reason for Peter's bad mood. He just hoped that the small white box he was holding would change all of that. He must have zoned out because the next thing he knew Peter was tapping on the window.

"You coming or not?" Peter asked raising one eyebrow.

Neal just laughed and followed Peter into the house, carrying his small white box.

The Burkes and Neal were half way through eating dinner when Neal's head began to hurt. He thought nothing of it, though, because his head had hurt off and on all day. But once he had finished eating, he noticed that his headache was more intense and his stomach was a bit uneasy. Elizabeth went into the kitchen to get the dessert, leaving Peter and Neal at the table. Apparently Neal hadn't hid his sudden sickness too well, because Peter asked,

"Hey Neal, are you alright?"

Neal straightened up at the agent's question and plastered a small smile on his face.

"Yes, I'm just full." He replied, grateful when Peter seemed to believe him.

"Well, you'll have to make room, because I made dessert." Elizabeth said as she walked back into the dining room and placed a pie on the table. She took her seat and cut each of them a piece. Peter and Elizabeth dug in while Neal took small, slow bites. The husband and wife noticed and shared a glance but said nothing.

After they were finished, Elizabeth stood and began to clean up.

"You boys go into the living room. I'll be in there in a minute."

Peter and Neal stood and did as they were told. Neal was walking behind Peter when his stomach lurched and he knew what was about to happen. He quickly ran to the bathroom and lost everything he had eaten, luckily into the toilet. Once he finished, he sat back against the cool tile and closed his eyes. He was startled by Peter's voice right next to him and opened his eyes to reveal the agent squatting down next to him with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you okay, Buddy?" Peter asked worried. Neal closed his eyes and nodded.

"Sorry." Neal said as he laid his pounding head back against the bathroom wall.

Peter placed a hand against Neal's forehead and felt a slight heat at the touch.

"It's fine. How long have you been sick?" Peter asked.

"I haven't. It just sort of hit me all at once. I've had a slight headache today, but that's it." Neal answered honestly.

Peter nodded his head and Elizabeth walked into the bathroom.

"Is everything alright? Oh Neal! Honey, are you ok?" She asked as she spotted a pale Neal.

Neal nodded his head slightly but it was Peter who answered.

"He threw up and he has a slight fever."

Elizabeth bent down and retrieved a thermometer from the cabinet under the sink and handed it to Peter. Peter looked at Elizabeth with an awkward expression but she gave him a pointed look which gave Peter no room to protest.

"Neal, open your mouth." Peter said as he held the thermometer in front of Neal's face. Neal looked at him with a `are you kidding?` look, but Peter gave him a stern look in return and the ex conman did as he was told.

Two minutes later the thermometer beeped and Peter removed it.

"100.9" Peter read out loud with a sigh. Neal groaned and closed his eyes.

"Alright Neal, do you want the couch or guest bedroom?" Peter asked. He watched as Neal opened his eyes and gave him a confused look.

"Neither. I can go home, Peter."

"Oh no! You are not going anywhere while you are sick, young man." Elizabeth said. "Peter, take him downstairs for right now and I'll get him some medicine and fix the guest bedroom." She ordered motherly and left.

Peter turned his attention back to Neal.

"Come on, Neal. Let's get you to the couch." The agent said as he looped an arm around Neal's back under his arms and pulled him up. Neal swayed once he was standing but Peter steadied him.

After a few minutes, Neal was laying down on the couch wrapped up in a thick blanket and a trashcan next to the sofa thanks to Elizabeth. Peter stood next to the couch and watched as Neal fell asleep with Elizabeth running her fingers through his slight sweat dampened hair. He rubbed a tired hand over his face, sighed and turned around to get a wet washcloth for Neal but stopped when he saw the small, white box Neal had been carrying around all day. He picked it up and walked back over to Elizabeth.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked holding it up.

Elizabeth smiled sadly. "Yes. It is for you, but it looks like Neal got sick before he could give it to you."

Peter scrunched his face in confusion. "For me? Why? What is it?" He questioned as he inspected the box. Elizabeth gave a small laugh. "Why don't you go ahead and open it and see for yourself?"

Peter carefully opened the small box and revealed a silk tie, much like the one he was forced to wear at the wine tasting event, when the scandal with Neal's old rival, Keller, occurred. Peter grinned, but rolled his eyes as he removed the tie from the box.

"Oh, Honey, you dropped something." Elizabeth told him pointing to a white, folded envelope on the floor. Peter bent down and picked it up. He turned it over to look at the front which read: _Happy Father's Day_.

Peter raised one eye suspiciously and quickly glanced at the sleeping ex conman on his couch, before opening the envelope.

Peter's jaw dropped as he saw what was inside. He looked between Neal and the envelope, back to Neal again, then to his wife.

"Did you know about this?" He asked in surprised. Elizabeth smiled.

"Maybe." She replied before standing up and giving her husband a quick kiss.

"I told you, he respects you." She said, then left the room leaving Peter and Neal alone.

Peter looked down again at the envelope which held three tickets to the next game at Yankee Stadium, and walked over to the couch. He sat down on the coffee table in front of the sofa and mussed Neal's hair slightly.

"Neal? Neal, wake up, Buddy." Peter said as Neal began to stir. The younger man turned bleary eyes toward the agent.

"Hmm?" Neal mumbled.

"I wanted to ask you about this?" Peter replied, holding up the tickets for Neal to see.

Neal rubbed his eyes and opened his eyes more widely.

"What do you mean? What is to ask?" Neal asked confused, closing his eyes sleepily, but opened them once more when Peter spoke.

"I mean… why did you get them?" Peter asked.

Neal rolled his head to right to look at Peter, but couldn't keep his eyes open due to the fever tiring his body.

"Because…. It's Father's day…and you deserve it." Neal stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Peter couldn't hide the grin that spread across his face, not that it matter anyway seeing as how Neal had already fallen back asleep.

Peter sat there for a few minutes watching his partner sleep. He took note on the fact Neal looked so much younger in his sleep and a lot more innocent. Neal rolled onto his side, causing some of his hair to fall over his face and pulled the cover up closer to his chin, but didn't wake up. Peter stood and stretched his back, before bending down and running a hand through Neal's hair to move it out of his eyes. He turned around to see his wife standing there smiling at him. She made her way over to Peter, who held her close as they both watched Neal sleep.

"So you knew about this?" Peter asked quietly.

"He asked me if it would be alright to get you something. We planned to have a simple dinner and he would give it to you afterwards. He wasn't supposed to get sick." She whispered back.

"One thing I've learned over the years, with Neal, nothing is ever simple." Peter replied as he smiled down at his wife with a roll of his eyes.

"True, but maybe all of this reinforced the meaning." Elizabeth stated.

"What do you mean?" The agent asked in a confused manner.

"Well, when he got sick you took care of him like a father would, so hopefully it proved to you that your relationship has evolved from FBI agent/consultant to more of a father/son relationship at times." She said.

Peter rolled his eyes and laughed, but he looked down at Neal once more and seeing his partner so vulnerable made a protective feeling wash over him and he finally was aware of what his wife was trying to tell him.

"Well, I'd rather it just be understood then put in to practice." Peter replied before untangling himself from his wife and placing a hand on Neal's forehead to check his fever. It was still there and possibly had gotten worse despite the Tylenol they had given him. Sighing as he realized he would probably have to take him to the doctor's office tomorrow, he stood up and turned to his wife.

"I'll stay down here with him tonight so we don't have to wake him up to take him upstairs." He stated quietly. Elizabeth nodded and shared a long hug and kiss with her husband.

"Happy Father's Day, Peter." Elizabeth said and made her way upstairs, leaving her husband and `son` in the living room.

* * *

**AN: Another random, no really random, one-shot and completely time irrelevant considering Father's day was forever ago. ha! Well anyway, let me know what you think?**


End file.
